20 Inspectors Rehired By Puc

The Public Utility Commission has reinstated 20 of the 45 employees it furloughed in June, including six railroad safety inspectors and three Philadelphia motor carrier enforcement officers.

"The commission is, indeed, happy that it could rehire as many employees as it could," said John M. Frazier, the PUC's press secretary.

Facing a $2 million budget shortfall, the commission sent layoff notices in June to 45 of its workers, including all seven of its rail inspectors.

Three of the seven rail inspectors were reinstated after the Legislature appropriated $700,000 more for the PUC than Gov. Tom Ridge originally proposed.

Three more rail inspectors were called back after the commission readjusted its budget further, coming up with another $400,000 in savings from reductions in employee benefit costs and other belt-tightening maneuvers.

"We had seven people in the rail inspection unit," said Kenneth E. Nicely, director of the Bureau of Safety and Compliance. "We figure we can essentially do the same job with six."

A case for keeping the rail inspectors was made by Senate President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer, R-30th District, and by the Federal Railroad Administration, which sent a letter to the commission saying it would not be able to maintain its enforcement levels without the PUC inspectors.

Recent derailments in the Altoona area also highlighted a need for the inspectors.

"That was just gasoline on the fire," Nicely said.

In addition to the six rail inspectors, the PUC was also able to rehire three of six furloughed motor carrier enforcement officers, who inspect trucks, buses and taxicabs.

"I think we have sufficient presence to cause the companies to continue to maintain the high level of safety on their vehicles," Nicely said.

Also rehired were a motor carrier enforcement supervisor, an administrative law judge, a receptionist, a messenger, a laborer, an administrator in the Office of Special Assistants, a transportation analyst, an attorney, two clerks and an information specialist.